Safety appliance for air brakes



March 10, 1925- J. LIDDELL SAFETY APPLIANCE FOR AIR BRAKES Filed July 3,24 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 5- 1o 11 19 1 1 f k 39 a 3 :I' 3 I I *w'" 29 21 u r7 (5 22 E 1 2:6 Q

Joe L :Lddell.

Watch 10, 1925- J. LIDDELL v SAFETY APPLIANCE FOR AIR BRAKES 3Sheets-Sheet 2 I I I, z I. I T

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Filed July 5, 1924 gwuwnku zloe Liddell.

J. LIDDELL SAFETY APPLIANCE FOR AIR BRAKES Filed July 5, 1924 I5Sheets-Sheet 3 attain Patented Mar. 10, 1925.

UNITED STATES JOE LIDDELL, OF NEW ALBANY, MISSISSIPPI.

SAFETY APPLIANCE FOR AIR, BRAKES.

Application filed July 3, 1924. Serial No. 724,154.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J or. LIDDELL, a citizen of the United States,residing at New Albany, in the county of Union and State of Mississip i,have invented certain new and useful improvements in Safety Appliancesfor Air Brakes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a safety appliance adapted to be attached to airbrakes on railroad cars for the purpose of automatically stopping atrain whenever a brake beam falls down.

It is a well known fact that a great number of railroad accidents arecaused by de fective brakes, such accidents amounting to as much as sixtpercent of the total number of all acci ents and it is accordingly veryimportant for the railroads, as well as the traveling public, that thecauses of accidents be removed as much as possible.

In the accompanying drawings, one embodiment of the invention isillustrated, and- Figure 1 is a fragmentary assembled View of the deviceas connected to the air brake valve;

Figure 2 is an axial section through the valve cage and adjacent parts;

Figure 3 is a section along line 33 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a section along line 44 of Figure 1,

Figure 5 is a section along line 5-5 of Figure 1, and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary side elevation of a car with the safety deviceinstalled.

In the drawings, reference numeral 10 represents a valve cage which isof the usual construction and inserted in the pipe line 11. The cage hasa main chamber 12 and a relief chamber 13 divided by a partition 14. Inthis partition is provided an aperture 15 forming a seat for a valve 16adapted to close by gravity and mounted on a valve stem 17 guided in aboss 18 at one end and in a closing plug 19 at the other end. From therelief chamber 13 a small vent 20 opens into the atmosphere for theescape of air from the valve cage.

The boss 18 has a downward extension 21 forming a guide for a toe 22 onan operating lever or tri ger 23. The toe 22 is pressed downward y by acompression spring 39 abutting at its upper end against the outer wallof the cage and at its lower end against the top face of the said toe.The latter rests, actuated by the spring, on a stop 41 at the bottom ofthe guide 21. The said guide forms a protective housing both for thelower end of the stem 17 and for the toe 22. The lower end of the valvestem 17 extends into the recess 24 in said guide in close proximity tothe toe 22 but normally free from the same.

The trigger 23 is fulcrumed, as at 25, on a journal 26 carried inbearings 27 forming part of the valve cage 10 and a long arm 28 of thetrigger terminates with an eye 29 from which a rod 30 is suspended upona pivot pin 31. The rod 30 is provided with a plurality of apertures 32with which the pivot pin 31 may selectively engage. This is for thepurpose of adjusting the distance of the horizontal safety bar 33 belowthe brake beams. The safety bar is suspended from the rod 30 by means ofa chain 34 and a link 35, the latter having pivotal engagement, as at36, near one end of the safety bar 33. The link 35 is preferably ofsquare or rectangular cross section and is guided in a brace 37 for thepurpose of preventing twisting or displacement of the horizontal safetybar 33.

At 38 is shown a fixed stop under the bottom of the car and adapted tolimit the swinging movement of the trigger 23 when the latter isactuated by the rocking of the safety bar 33.

Reference numeral 40 represents a brace for the chain 34 which brace isbolted to the sand bolster 45 of the car so that the safety bar will beproperly located with relation to the brake beams.

The operation of the device is as follows:

With the safety appliance installed, as indicated in Figures 1 and 6, ona car truth and attachedto the air pipe line 11. the

safety bar extends lengthways under the truck beyond the front and rearbrake beams 46 and 47 slightly below the same. In case one or both ofthe latter should be detached and dropped down it will fall on thesafety bar 33 and its weight will press the safety bar downwardly. Thisaction is communicated through the link 35, chain 34 and rod 30 to thelong arm 28 of the trigger 23. The latter will then turn against theaction of the spring 39, thereby swinging the trigger toe 22 upwardlyand lifting the stem 17 with the valve 16. This swinging movement of thetrigger 23 is limited by the stop 33 so that the spring 31' tannot bemin pressed more than to a certain extent but sutli iently to permit theliftlngof th'e'valve 1 As commnnication is now o ten between the mainchamber 12 and the-"tenet chamber 1 in the "age 10. the compressed airip the pipe line 11 Wlll escape through the valve seat 15 int the reliefchamber 13 and from there to the atirnasphere through the .vent 20. Theair brakes will accordingly be applied in the usual manner and the trainstopped. The escape of air will continue as long as the safety bar isloaded that is to say, until the fallen brak beam is removed. As soon asthe Weight is talzenoff the safety bar 3 the springfit will press: downthe trigger toe J2 and lift the safety bar 333 into its normal position.At the same time the valve 16 will. .l,rop baclt into its seat 15 partlyactuated by gravity and partly by pressure in the main chamber 12. thelower end of the stem 17 having been released by the toe 32.

Having thus descrilj-ed the invention. What is claimed as new is:

1. A safety appliance for cooperating with the bralte beam of an airbrake; said appliancecomprising a valve cage insert d ill the air pipeline. a alve seat in said cage connecting said pipe line with theatmosphere. a valve normally t losing said seat. a trigger, a safety bar[MSl iOnQd beneath said bralce beann and suspension means for saidsafetybar connectedwith said trigger.

2. Asafety appliance for cooperating with the brake beam of an airbralie; said appliance c mpr'ising a valve cage inserted in the air pipeline. a alve seat in said cage connectingsaid pipe line with theatmosphere. a valve normally closing saidseat, a trigger. a safety" barpositi ned beneath said brake beam, and suspension means for saldsafetybar connected with said trigger; saidhneans including a spring tendingto hold said trigger out of engagement with said valve.

3. Asafety appliance for cooperating with the brake beam of an airbralze; said appliance comprising a valve cage inserted in the air pipeline. a valve Seat in said cag connecting said pipe line ,With theatmosphere. a valve normally closing said seat. a trigger, a safety barpositioned beneath said brake beam. and suspension means for said saf tybar eonnected with said trigg r. said trigger being pivoted on said cageand provided with d toe and an arm. said t e being situated in the pathof recipnnlation of said valve.

4. A safety appliance for cooperating with the brake beam of an .airbrake: said y applian e comprising a'valve cage inserted in the air pipeline, a valve seat in said cage onnecting said pipe line with theatmosphere, a valve normally closing said seat, a

triggeif a Saf ty ba r poSlfiblle jl beneath Said bralte beann andr-ruspension means f r said Safety bar Cmlllected With said trigger,said trigger being pi 'd d H t llltl 'flg find l' l'O- id ilwi h 1; t eand an arm, said t being situated in the path of 1e 'ipi "?:1ti 1i fsaid valvt'gflsaid means includin a sprrn; tending t hold said toe outof engz emeirt With said valve.

5. A safety appliance for operating with the braltelaearn of an arrbrake; said appliance conrprising a valve cage inserted ill the Si) pipeline, :1 valve t 'fllt ln said cage .onne1 -t3ing said p pe lipe'tviththe 'atnwsphere. a valve iwrmally closing saidseat,a trigger. a safetybar positioned beneath said brake beam. and suspension means for saidsafety bar connected with said trigger; said trigger being pivoted nsaid'eage and provided with a t eand an arm said toe being situated inthe path f reciprocation of said valve: saidmeans incl'udir'rg a springtending tohcfld'said toe out'of g'ementXvith said Valve and a rod having:rdjustalde. pivotal engagement with said arn't of the trigger.

0. A safety appliance for cooperating with the brake beam of an airbraltei said appliance comprising a valve cage inserted in the air pipeline. a valve seat in said'cage onnecting said pipe line with theatmosphere. a valvenorngally closing said seat. a trigger. a safety barpositioned beneatl r said brake beann and suspension means for saidsafetydaar oonnected with said triggern said trigger being p ivotedoirsaid cage and provided witha toe and an armj'said toe being situatedin the'path of reciprocation "of' said valve: said means including aspringtending to hold said toe out of engageinent with said valve, a rodha ing adjustable, pi otal engagement with said arm of the trigger, a

linl: 1Iulcrumed n said safety bar. and a pliabe member connecting saidlrnl: and saidrod.

4 7. A safety appliance tor cooperating with the brake beam of an arrbrake: said lot appliance comprising a valve cage inserted in the airpipe line. a valve seat in said cage connecting said pipe line with theatn'msphere'. a valve normally closing said seat a trigger, a safety barpositioned beneath said ,bralce beam; and suspension means for saidsafety bar mnnected with said trigger. said trigger being piv t dorrsaidc ;n*e'and provided With (l b "f and an anti. said toe being situated inthe path freciprocation of said valve; said means including a springtending to hold said toe-out of engagement \vitli siliil Valve :1 l tilhaving :H'ljlif talrlQ. pivotal ngageme t with said arni of the trigger.alinl; ful runted on'said safety ban and a pliable nreillljwrconnectingsaid linlt arid said rod; an ab'utinent 'on Sttid' cageadapted to limit the swinging movement of lit llO

said trigger in one direction, and a stop fix edly arranged to limit theswinging movement of the trigger in the opposite direction.

8. A safety appliance for cooperation with the brake beam of an airbrake, said appliance including a normally closed valve inserted in theair pipe line, said valve when open serving to connect the air pipe linewith the atmosphere, a valve unseating member, an impact receivingmember positioned beneath the brake beam, and suspension means for saidimpact receiving mem ber operatively connected with the Valve unseatinp;member.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

JOE LIDDELL. [L. s]

